Is Bedwetting Something to be Worried About?

Bedwetting is pretty common among young children. It’s estimated that approximately 13% of 6-year-olds wet the bed, while around 5% of 10-year-olds do so. A bedwetting phase can occur for just a short period of time for many children. Others may continue the habit into later years. But generally, it’s perfectly normal and nothing to worry about.

Bedwetting alarms have been proven as a highly effective way of stopping the problem. But although finding a solution to bedwetting is important, you may want to understand why it’s happening in the first place.

Common Causes

There are a whole range of potential reasons that your child might be wetting the bed. For some children, the bladder just takes more time to develop. There’s also the possibility that your child’s bedwetting is down to them being a naturally deep sleeper. In these instances, they essentially don’t receive the message from their brain that they need to get up and go to the toilet.

In some cases, there can be medical reasons for the problem. A urinary tract infection, deformities of the bladder, problems with the spinal cord, sleep apnoea or diabetes can all be potential causes. But while it’s important to know about all of the potential medical issues involved, it’s really very rare that these kinds of problems are the cause of your child’s bedwetting.

Experts point out that bedwetting is something that’s frequently caused by an inherited genetic fault. That’s the view of Howard Bennett, MD, a paediatrician and author of Waking Up Dry: A Guide to Help Children Overcome.

With that in mind, it’s perhaps reassuring to know that while bedwetting can’t be controlled in many cases there isn’t cause for undue concern.

A Symptom of Stress

In certain instances, bouts of bedwetting can be attributed to anxiety or stress. Even little things can weigh heavy on a child’s mind, so if they suddenly begin wetting the bed it’s worth finding out if they’re feeling particularly bothered about something.

Naturally, the more that bedwetting occurs the more a child may get worked up about the situation. Bedwetting alarms from DRI Sleeper can be very helpful in these cases as they can help stop the problem happening in the first place.

Strategies to Help Prevent Bedwetting

There are all kinds of possible solutions to the problem. It’s important to make sure your children establish a regular nightly routine of going to the toilet before bed. It’s also worth ensuring they drink plenty in the day but avoid drinking too much liquid in the time before they go to sleep. It might also be useful to get your child up in the night to pay a visit to the toilet.

How to Deal with Bedwetting

Obviously, bed-wetting can end up being an increasing source of embarrassment for your child. For that reason you should avoid talking about the issue in front of other people and try to put their mind at rest that nobody else needs to know about it.

Wetting the bed can be distressing to a child, so it goes without saying that the best way to deal with the situation is to be tolerant and understanding. Offer your child reassurance, let them know it’s perfectly natural and the chances are they’ll soon grow out it.

Of course, if you are overly concerned about the situation then it’s probably worth visiting your doctor. But ultimately, bedwetting is a normal part of growing up and not something to become unduly worried about.